Quincy University Study Abroad Program has done it once more.  Today is Sunday and was far one of the most interesting days we have had yet.  I swear I never thought I would be able to see so much in five days.  Today we toured the British Museum.  This museum is incredibly extensive.  When you first arrive the outside looks like something out of Roman history.   It has columns and a white facade.   The inside is beautiful.  After getting past the entrance way, you are greeted by a large open room which houses the cafe, and special exhibit.  It also has stairs that lead you into the upper floors.  My first stop was the upper floors, which housed much of the Greek and Roman artifacts as well as Mesopotamian and even Egyptian mummies.   I cannot begin to describe any of the artwork that I saw or the types of exhibits that the museum houses.   It has things ranging from antiques clocks to Roman armour, to possibly the most famous exhibits in the building: the Rosetta Stone, and Parthenon Figures. 

    The museum has collected artifacts from all over the world, and has a large collection in every room.  I was able to see Japanese Samurai armour and British swords.  It was an amazing experience and I was able to take both video and pictures.  In fact if you click the play button above you can see just one of the hundreds of rooms I was able to visit. 

     After trying to view everything in the exhibit in five to six hours (it wasn’t long enough),  we headed back to Regent’s for a little bit of rest before our next adventure.  As mentioned in a previous blog, we saw the London Eye on the third day of our trip.  The group, however, wanted to be able to ride the Eye and get a bird’s eye view, if you will, of the entire city.  We tramped down to through the underground, the snow, and across the Westminster Bridge once more to take our ride.  The trip, this time, did not end in success.  Unfortunately, the attraction was down for maintenance, so we took pictures from the under the giant wheel, and took other ridiculous pictures as tourists will. 

    Though we were unable to actually ride the Eye, the picture we were able to take, and the memories of the trip will forever be worth the travel.  I head tomorrow for the Imperial War Museum, and hopefully a debate at Parliament in the House of Commons.  Wish me luck, but whether good or bad I know I’ll have one incredibly time.

   On the street itself are vendors that peddle everything from shirts and scarfs to old sporting equipment and antiques.  I ended up buying quite a few things for my family, but didn’t exactly skimp out on myself either.  I was able to find a cricket bat that supposedly dates back to the 1910-1920′s.  Along with the bat I was also able to buy a cricket ball.  Now all I have to do is learn to play. .. Only joking of course the bat itself is an antique, but the baseball player in me had to buy it.  I don’t think it is possible to actually explain how many people were in this packed square, and shops that both lined the street and were in it as well. 

    After making our way back to the beginning of the street with our new found treasures, we got our feet under us once more and headed to another part of London.  This time taking the underground over walking we made our way to the Millenium Bridge.  This, however, was not our final stop and after stopping shortly for a photo op, we arrived at our final destination.  And what do you find across the Millenium Bridge opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral?  The Tate Modern of course.  The Tate Modern is a modern art museum, that holds many interesting and great works of art.  We were able to see a few Picasso’s, Andy Warhol’s, Jackson Paulic, as well as all of the other interesting pieces of art that one would expect to find at a modern art museum.  There was a painting of just white, a canvas with a tear in the middle, and my favorite part of the entire trip the large black box. 

   The box itself was created as an interactive sculpture, and created the allusion of being pitch black.  The farther one walked into the box the darker it got until about twenty to thirty feet from the end it is pitch black and you stumble in the dark until finally coming to the back wall.  I ran into a few people, but when I turned around I could see everyone else doing the exact same thing.  For when you look back the light shows you everyone else coming in and the allusion is broken.   It was incredibly interesting, and was an experience that I went to twice. 

    The day finally ended at a British restaurant run by a Greek family, which had the best fish and chips in London.  It was a nice little pub, and we were there for a few hours.  We then headed back to Regent’s College to end the night relaxing and emailing family.

  

     Today was our first day in London. We took another express train to London from Canterbury. It was almost sad leaving Canterbury. The city was extraordinary and we had a great time. After we got back to London we hopped on the underground to Baker Street, where we got off and headed for Regent’s College. Regent’s College is where we are staying the rest of the trip. The rooms are nice and the building is beautiful. It is still snowing but it hasn’t detracted from the experience in the least. At least I know that the experience is once in a blue moon, as this type of snow only happens every so often. As I mentioned in a recent post the people we have talked to say that it hasn’t happened in thirty years.
     After getting to Regent’s we ate dinner in the refectory (cafeteria), and headed off to explore the city. We jumped on a double-decker and toured the city for a few hours. We passed by Trafalgar Square, where Admiral Nelson stands on a tall column looking out towards the ocean, and is also home to the National Gallery, which we plan on touring later. We got off the bus at Westminster. It was one of the best views I have ever seen. One one side of the Thames sits the London Eye, the famous ferris wheel built to celebrate the millenium, and on the other side stands Parliament and Big Ben.  We then walked across to Parliament Square and got an even better view of the building. We also say the Sovereign’s Entrance where the Queen of England enters when she comes to Parliament.
     After Parliament we headed over to Westminster Abbey. We didn’t go in, but we were able to walk around the outside and take pictures. We then walked by the new Supreme Court building, which was built this summer, and on to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Cathedral itself is beautiful, but we didn’t stay long, as there was a service which was about to start. We are headed back sometime this week to explore the historic church more thoroughly, it is a trip I look forward to greatly. We then headed to a rather interesting pub. Name the Ye Ole’ Watling, the pub is made from the left over timbers from St. Paul’s Cathedral. The food was good, but just the history was incredible. The pub itself is over 350 years old. It’s older than the United States!
      We then headed back to Regent’s to write our families, and relax. After all the walking we did today, everyone needed a little break. It has been an amazing experience, and I wouldn’t trade the time in England for anything.

      There are several notable people buried there either in a sarcophagus or interred in the floor itself.  To mention few, King Henry the Fourth, The Black Prince, and several Archbishops of Canterbury are buried within its confines.  It is also the site of St. Thomas Becket’s murder.  The cathedral itself was magnificent lined with pillars and statues honoring all of the people who have served the church in some form or another.  It is also filled with many chapels.  I, myself, knelt down and prayed in the chapel of St. Gabriel located in the crypt.  It was incredibly moving to stand in a place so many people have walked through and been part of.  It was humbling in many ways. 

     After visiting Canterbury Cathedral a few of us decided to visit the Norman castle built in approximately 1200 A.D.  This fullfilled a great dream of mine.  We were able to climb to the third floor and take photographs.  According to the signs the castle was never battle tested, but it served as a prison for the entire region of Kent (the region that Canterbury is located in).  After the Norman castle we headed to visit St. Martin’s church.  This is the oldest parish church in England and was built in the 6th century.  We were not able to go in, but were able to tour the rest of the grounds as well as the cemetary around the church. 

    After St. Martin’s we went back to the hostel and waited to go to dinner at Thomas Becket’s.  A pub that sat only a few blocks from Canterbury Cathedral.  In all I was able to visit three incredibly historic places and all I can think is, if I hadn’t come to Quincy University this would not have happened.

            Our trip began on January 5, 2010.  It started with an eight-hour plane ride from Chicago to Heathrow in London.  The plane ride itself was somewhat cramped, but didn’t seem that long.  After arriving in London we took the underground from the airport to St. Pancras International Train Station.   We waited approximately an hour for our train to arrive, but it was well worth the wait.  Once on the train, which turned out to be an express train, we were greeted by rolling country sides, brick farm houses, and fields filled with both sheep and snow.  That’s right I said snow.  To see a video of our trip on the express train click on the box above, but back to the snow.

            We happen to be in England in, according to people we’ve talked to, one of the only years in the last twenty that it has snowed this hard.   This did not damper our spirits, but instead made us that much more determined to see everything.  As we arrived in Canterbury we were able to walk through the town to the bed and breakfast we were scheduled to stay at, and after walking two miles through the entire town we arrived at our bed and breakfast. 

            We checked in and were able to go off on our own for a little while.  Sophomore Kevin Hahh, fellow Junior Hamilton Kemp, and myself set off to explore the town on our own.  Having already been taught about Canterbury in our eight-week course leading up to our departure, we quickly found Canterbury Cathedral with the help of our advisor Judge Mark Schuering.  After taking pictures of the entrance and other memorials (World War II memorial as well as a red phone booth and the medieval West Gate Towers), Judge Schuering made reservations for our group of eight to look around in the large and beautiful cathedral. We look forward to that tomorrow, as the church has an incredible history rich with mystery and intrigue.  We also get to see the Evensong presentation tomorrow night at the large church.  I have waited for several months for this trip and so far have had the time of my life simply walking around in such an historical place. 

            After setting up our appointment for tomorrow Judge Schuering visited Greyfriars Chapel.   This was the first Franciscan Friary to be established in the United Kingdom, during the lifetime of St. Francis of Assisi himself.  It was built in 1267, 43 years after the first Friars settle in Canterbury.  As Judge Schuering was doing this we (Kevin, Hamilton, and myself) visited a few of the local stores, pubs, and eventually the three us of made it back to The Old Weavers, a local pub, to eat dinner with the rest of the group who had been napping to rest up after the long plane ride.

            Look for more tomorrow as we take our tour of Canterbury Cathedral and explore the local cuisine and other attractions.  In a few days I will be in London, and will give a full day to day update to allow everyone to get a better picture of what Quincy University’s study abroad program allows students to accomplish and experience.

Many people, when they first get to college are a little overwhelmed by many different things.  It might be school work, meeting people, or just trying to get involved that makes your schedule for the year cluttered and busy, but you need to remember to allow for some free time.  

I recommend trying to stay anywhere from 14-16 hours and maybe one or two different activities during the first semester.  After that try to find more things to do if your first semester went well.  The biggest thing you need to remember is moderation.  It makes no sense to make yourself so busy that you cannot accomplish the main reason you go to college…for an education.  

Many people forget that college is still school, and even if you play a sport, if you don’t keep an eye on your school work its not going to be a very enjoyable experience.  An easy way to keep yourself straight is to make a schedule.  A schedule will give you something look at and will help you keep your feet on the ground.  I don’t mean schedule just the things you need or have to do, I mean plan out each hour.  This way you know exactly how much work you need to do, how much time you have, and this will also allow you to schedule some free time just to relax.  Without free time you could literally go crazy trying to keep track of the things you have to finish.  

For example I am in three different plays of some kind or another, have two jobs, am in three different clubs, and have 18 credit hours.  To say the least I’m busy.  I do not recommend taking on this many things at once ever, but if you do find yourself in this predicament, simply make a schedule.  It makes things that much easier to take care of.  Quincy University is a busy place and if you don’t schedule yourself some time you could get in over your head.  Just remember moderation and relaxation.  

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As always feel free to contact me at jacobta@quincy.edu or leave me a comment on the Questions? page.

The fields they play on are just as interesting as the people.  All of the fields have seen many games and some have even seen championships.  The most well known field is Quincy Stadium a combined stadium of baseball and football that are separated and enclosed by a large stone wall.  It almost looks like a prison, but it was under the Works Project Administration in 1938 during Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and is also where the Quincy Gems play during the summer.  

If your looking for the soccer field you will have to travel a little further up the road to North Campus, a building that houses the science math and music departments of Quincy University.  The North Campus Field is where the soccer team calls home.  The field is a large grass field that includes lights, a concession stand, and locker rooms for both teams.  Not to mention plenty of seating.  

You’ll find that the trip up to North Campus has also allowed you to find your way to the Mark Heinen softball Complex.  The complex is located just behind the soccer fields and was finished in 2005.  If the baseball field is the grandfather of Quincy University this would have to be the baby.  The newer field includes a score box, concessions, and bleachers.  Just as the Athletic programs are a big part of Quincy University the fields their homes.

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If you would like to visit the Quincy University Athletics page click here.

As always feel free to contact me at jacobta@quincy.edu

Every year the Theater Department puts on a couple plays and a musical.  The auditions are open to anyone willing to try and many new faces have been seen on the stage this past year.  I have had a great time in all of the acting I have done which though only a couple plays has definitely been an experience that I will not forget.  I have acted in the Madrigal, and the children’s theater production of Cinder-Ella.  I’ve even learned how to dance in front of an audience, but that does not even begin to compare to the thrill of getting to know so many different people.

The types of people who participate rang from music majors, to pre-law to almost any major you can think of.  The fact of the matter is, the theater department is open to anyone who has a flair for the dramatic or just wants to participate in something unique.  Quincy University gives the department a lot of support and the students turn out every time there is a show.  

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As always feel free to contact me at jacobta@quincy.edu

The food is not the only reason that the Hawks Hangout is a popular student area.  Quincy University has stocked the Hawks Hangout, also known as the UC, with a pool table, a fooseball table, two small t.vs and one big screen t.v.   It has become a great place to do eat, hangout, and sometimes in a hurry to do homework.  The Hawks Hangout serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The best part about the Hawks Hangout is the fact that you can use your meal plans or if your running low on those cash is always permitted. Quincy University does many different things to help students and the Hawks Hangout is definitely one of them.  

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If you have any questions feel free to contact me at jacobta@quincy.edu

I remember coming to Quincy University and thinking, “Do I really need all this stuff?”  I had pencils, pens, books, posters, highlighters, computer, bed sheets, TV, desk materials, clothes, etc, etc, etc.  It seemed like all of it was falling out of the car by the time we arrived.  The one thing I did not count on however was how I was going to fit it all into the dorm room, or even get it up to the room itself.  

Unless you happen to stay in a dorm with an elevator (Friars Hall), you will have to make several trips to the car to carry up everything.  This can get a little tedious as well as exhausting;  stairs are not exactly the easiest things to maneuver when you have a TV in your arms.  So on moving day take the stress out of moving and follow these simple tips. 

1) Make sure to box all of your items unless they come prepackaged, saving space in the car is a priority, and having everything in a box makes it easier to carry.  Stairs are a little harder to go up if you constantly have to pick up things that you drop. 

2) Move big items first, trying to make room after all the little things are in can be a hassle.  By moving in all of your larger objects: first, you don’t run the risk of having things get in your way.  Second, larger items frequently heavier and more cumbersome thus you use more energy to move them.  By moving them first you will be less fatigued than if you were to move them last. 

3) Put it away as you go, by putting things in their proper place at the start you will not have to wade through box after box to find the pieces of the puzzle that is your computer, TV wires, ect.  This rule only works, however if you move the big things first!

4) Get bookshelves set up before you bring in the books.  Boxes can start to pile up and the fewer you have to get around the better.

5) Make a list of the things you need before you go then add to it.  You will not know everything you need, but if you buy things before you get there like hooks and hangers you may end up wasting money if the room already has them or has a rule about attaching such items to the walls.

6) Biggest key RELAX! You have plenty of time to move in and get situated there is no need to rush yourself and get worked up about moving. Bring things from home to help with the adjustment.  Above all have fun and enjoy the experience, it can be frustrating at times, but just remember its worth it. 

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As always feel free to contact me at jacobta@quincy.edu